Running Linux, 5th Edition

FreeNX: Linux as a Remote Desktop Server

Imagine X server technology with compression so tight that GNOME and KDE sessions run over modems with SSH encryption with impressive response time. FreeNX is an addition to the remote desktop line with stunning performance. Thin clients use small amounts of bandwidth while handling audio and video, printing, and other heavy applications, and permit the use of session suspension instead of termination. As long as you wish to primarily use Linux, FreeNX provides real virtual KVM switches without hardware.

FreeNX differs from both Windows RDP and VNC because it makes Linux the source of the applications people use. So if you want to set up a Linux server and provide OpenOffice.org or Firefox web browsers to remote users with minimal hardware, FreeNX would work for you. Also, if you have clients such as Windows 98 or Mac OS X, you can obtain free clients from http://nomachine.com to allow those platforms to connect and run those applications from the Linux server.

Using FreeNX server on Linux creates a secure environment for remote computing. Clients can run on Linux, of course, but FreeNX can also create X client sessions on various operating systems such as Windows and Macintosh without the need to install X. Clients also exist at the time of this writing for PlayStation2, iPAQ, and Zaurus 5XXX.

System administrators like FreeNX because they can control the features and content available to their users. They can also see and operate every Linux ...